Yunnan China to Shangrila

(31 Reviews)
100% Recommended

Daniel Oppliger

El Paso, TX
Group Travel Expert

 

I have been immersed in the travel industry since relocating to El Paso in 1986. Initially, I worked with a local tour operator before venturing out on my own.Over the years, I've developed specialties in Destination Resorts and River Cru...

Black Dragon Pool Lijiang, Yunnan, China

Shangri-La. Its name evokes a sense of mystery, adventure, and exoticism—a mythical Orient that captured the Western imagination through James Hilton’s bestselling 1933 novel, "Lost Horizon." Surprisingly, despite its fictional origins, Shangri-La exists in reality. More precisely, a town in northern Yunnan Province, China, has officially adopted the name Shangri-La.


My personal journey to Shangri-La didn't mirror the gripping saga of Hilton's novel. Unlike the protagonist who encountered spies, bandits, and ancient lamas, my experience was a fascinating exploration of Yunnan, one of China's most diverse provinces. I began in Shanghai for a couple of days, they on to Kunming, Yunnan, China.


Yunnan is extraordinarily diverse, even within the vastness of China. It is home to 28 recognized ethnic groups, more than any other province in the country. The terrain ranges from steamy jungles along its southern borders with Vietnam, Laos, and Myanmar, to snow-capped Himalayan peaks in the north. Despite being just 900 kilometers apart, these contrasting landscapes give Yunnan its renowned diversity in flora, fauna, agriculture, architecture, and culture.  


Yunnan is extraordinarily diverse, even within the vastness of China. It is home to 28 recognized ethnic groups, more than any other province in the country. The terrain ranges from steamy jungles along its southern borders with Vietnam, Laos, and Myanmar, to snow-capped Himalayan peaks in the north. Despite being just 900 kilometers apart, these contrasting landscapes give Yunnan its renowned diversity in flora, fauna, agriculture, architecture, and culture.


   

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